Keep versus Toss
August 21, 2006
The packing has begun. And it’s begun with the dangerous question: keep or toss. Dangerous because I always lean toward toss. I want to get rid of everything… start anew. A clean slate. If I haven’t worn it, looked at it, touched it, used it, loved it, thought of it in the last year or so, it’s outta here. I am not overly sentimental and I don’t like a lot of stuff for stuff’s sake. I pack lightly.
Colin, on the other hand, sways toward keep. He’s more conservative on what he pegs as useful, and if he thinks it might come in handy someday, he’ll most definitely keep it. (And with his sneaky McGyver ways, he just might use it.) He puts off the decision to purge with the mindset: If I throw this away now, I will not have the option to use it in the future… so I will keep my options open by saving it.
He told me the other day that if I had it my way, we’d be traveling monks with just the clothes on our backs and a tea cup for drinking water… and then I’d be complaining that we were weighed down by the tea cups and we should toss them.
Now, we’ve had to get to a place of compromise over the last few years. I’ve stopped burning my my artwork and he’s stopped saving receipts from our dates. But we’re not nearly on the same page yet. So we’ve been in a bit of a pickle.
But one thing we do agree on are the various methods or ridding yourself of your stuff. These are our categories:
recycling
Goodwill
trash
garage sale
half-price books
friends/family
I think we both feel better when we give our stuff to anywhere but the trash… giving it to Goodwill or a garage sale means that someone else may come along and think of your trash as their treasure… and this warms both of our hearts. (I know that I find some real finds at Goodwill sometimes!)
And the garage sale option is even better because you can get *paid* for your unused snowshoes or used paperbacks. (Yay candy-money!) (By the way… I’m having a garage sale this Friday and Saturday if you want to come by… couches, chairs, treadmills, bikes… you name it. Colin, you’re not allowed to be there.)
We have family and friends coming over and picking through the piles, finding stuff they want for their houses. And all my houseplants are going to my sister-in-law, which makes her happy. Feels sort of nice to keep your stuff in the family. Then you can see it all going to good use.
The moving van line we are using charges by the pound, so I say “Let’s toss!” (as Colin secretly stashes things in boxes when I’m not looking). All I know is: all I need to be happy is he and I, our pets and the clothes on our backs. (Tea cups, not allowed.)
August 21st, 2006 at 2:32 pm
I used to be a Colin, but now I’m a Penelope.
Nothing stays around, in my house, that I don’t absolutely adore or use
on a frequent basis.
Good luck with your garage sale… hope you two make lots of art supply/
have fun/candy money!
August 21st, 2006 at 4:25 pm
i am with you…i say toss it.
unless, it is some valuable art supply
or old original piece you just don’t
love….you can toss it my way!
August 21st, 2006 at 4:52 pm
ooooo… I long to be the Lopester! my inner heart so wants to be lopie light and free. But alas, I have ever so much trouble letting go of stuff. Just in case it’s useful. I particularly have a hard time letting go of things that were gifts… or hand-me-down items from my Granny Ford. Even if they are not my taste, never were my taste, will never be my taste and even though these objects often reside in a cardboard box in the basement…. I cannot let them go. I know I should. I WANT to… I just …um… don’t. But I’m getting better! Truly I am! I recycled more than half the paper sample library I haven’t touched in three years. The remainders? Well,,, I might use them someday. No, really! I might.
Johnny Teacup, of course, is all about the getting rid-of-ness. Must be a Virgo thing, that!!!!
August 21st, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Ah yes, the dreaded keep vs. toss. I’m much more of a keeper than a tosser. Although I’ve gotten much better at finally donating clothes that I havent’ worn for the past 3 years to the thrift store near my house. The only problem is…I love the thrift store and usually come home with something when I go to drop a bag of stuff off! The same goes for yardsales. A group of friends and I usually have one yearly, and although I do end up selling some stuff …I always end up trading one of my friends for more of their junk too! I love junk!
August 21st, 2006 at 6:44 pm
I say toss, except if we’re talking about fasteners. You can always use scres, washers, nuts, etc.
August 21st, 2006 at 10:45 pm
He he..LOVE the spunky illo. Cute & funny.
I’m a packrat in recovery, yet much better than I used to be. I can empathize with Colin, but if I had my ‘drothers I’d rest comfortably towards the Lopie end of the scale. ESPECIALLY if I were moving by the pound!
I moved countries with a couple of suitcases (and still end up bringing back more when I visit home) but in reality, I don’t miss a thing!
August 22nd, 2006 at 9:31 am
I enjoy purging my closets, throwing out all the stuff that somehow accumulates into piles around my house. We have a few boxes full of things we need to either sell on Ebay or donate to the Goodwill (I’ve found goodies there, too!). Did you know that when you donate to the Goodwill, you can get a receipt for the goods that can be applied to your taxes? Yep, it’s true.
August 22nd, 2006 at 6:06 pm
I go through fads of wanting to be one of those modern-day monks, living on nothing, with everything looking spartan and shaker-style. And other time, I want to keep absolutely EVERYTHING.
My family’s moved a lot–seventeen times, in fact–so I’ve gotten pretty good at purging. I’ve come to relish packing. It’s a lotta fun. Then, on the other end, it’s like Christmas opening everything up again!
August 23rd, 2006 at 8:11 am
Colin just confessed to having already saved various junk from the garage sale pile! Penny, keep a closer eye on that pack-rat! :)
August 23rd, 2006 at 9:12 am
Unburden yourself from stuff!
When we moved 2200 miles (by ourselves, no moving service) I wished we had left more behind. One thing we failed to realize was simple things like: we can buy a trash can in our new location because hauling one cross country costs more in time, effort + packing space.
Good luck! Shona
August 23rd, 2006 at 9:25 am
http://freecycle.org/
my favorite way to reuse and recycle what I no longer need!
August 23rd, 2006 at 10:15 pm
I have to side with Colin on this issue KEEP
August 24th, 2006 at 2:31 am
Don’t give the little red dressers to good will! If they are claimed by family already I want them! I also want to be there, but can;t and it’s killing me!!!!!!! MOM
August 27th, 2006 at 9:23 pm
ditto, ditto, ditto. i am the one who can get rid of anything. i only hold on to what really loves me silly. and the rest, well, it’s just stuff. my husband, however, is the pack rat. oh, the struggle!